Smoke Signals: Top Tribe Prospects Have A Big Spring Day

It was a big day for the Indians’ top prospects down in Goodyear, Arizona.

Triston McKenzie, the team’s no. 2 prospect according to MLB.com, is not in big league camp in Arizona. Outside of the southpaw, the team’s other top three prospects all contributed extra-base hits and RBI.

Bobby Bradley, the hulking first baseman and no. 3 prospect, sent a line shot to center field in the 2nd inning off of Milwaukee Brewers starter Junior Guerra. Richie Shaffer singled home the now-slimmer Bradley a batter later.

Bradley finished 2-for-3 on the day, singling home top prospect Francisco Mejia in the 4th inning. The catcher had come on as a pinch runner for Roberto Perez.

Mejia was labelled ‘the best hitter on the team’ by Jose Ramirez earlier in the spring, as the pair watched film together on Monday morning. Not shockingly at all, Mejia posted a noteworth at-bat in the 5th.

Five of Frankie Mejia's 14 HRs with @AkronRubberDuck in 2017 came from the right side.

Manager Terry Francona has advocated Mejia getting time at other positions than his normal catcher spot this spring because of the possibility that the team will have to force his bat into the regular season lineup. The skipper reiterated that again post-game.

“He’s got a knack for hitting. You look at him and you think, ‘Well, he can’t drive the ball.’ Yeah, he gets a pitch he can handle, he can drive the ball – both sides of the plate,” Francona said. “That’s why we’re trying to figure out ways to hasten up his development, because he’s such an advanced hitter.”

The team’s no. 4 prospect, Yu-Cheng Chang, went 1-for-2 with a strikeout and a ground rule double in the 9th.

Chang is now 2-for-4 this spring.

Oter-Oh, no

With a potentially elevated role forthcoming, reliever Dan Otero struggled again in his second spring outing, allowing three earned runs on two hits and three walks.

Otero has now allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings.

The 33-year-old signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract extension on December 5th, with a team option for the 2020 season.